Deputy Mayor Urges Moscow Doctors to Be More Like 'Dr. House'

One of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin's deputies has urged the city's doctors to be more like fictional American television character Dr. House.

Leonid Pechatnikov, deputy for social development issues, praised the efficiency of the protagonist of hit TV show "House M.D.," during an interview with the Govorit Moskva radio station on Thursday.

From 2004 to 2012, English actor Hugh Laurie starred as Dr. Gregory House in the hit American series. The antisocial but brilliant doctor specializes in diagnosing strange conditions with the help of a highly skilled team of experts.

"I especially love the show 'House M.D.,' where the real work of doctors is shown. Not a minute is lost: one analysis, another analysis, some research, a quick diagnosis, fast treatment, and if it's extreme they stay in the hospital. If it's long-term they prescribe treatment, and the patient undergoes outpatient care where a doctor in a clinic monitors him," Pechatnikov said.

The deputy mayor said hospitals should also function thoroughly and efficiently, like those featured in "House M.D."

"A hospital is not a nursing home. It's a place for the medical industry. A person comes to a hospital to get emergency help or planned help, not to wait for analysis for a week, then wait for consultants for another week, and only after a month get discharged," Pechatnikov said.